Category Archives: Freedom

Imagine the collective ass puckering and mental detonations if the NRA were to sponsor the NASCAR series. Not just a car, but the entire series.

The series trophy would be Charlton Heston holding an AR-15 and would be called the Dead Hands Cup. Imagine the screaming of the opposition as every where they looked were images and advertising from the NRA on national TV. The cries as the series winner stood up with a trophy with an AR-15 on top at the end.

Now as much fun as that would all be, I would rather send funds to the front line for the fight, but the fallout from the other side would be down right hilarious.

*Found in the drafts folder and I’m wondering why I never hit publish…

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

Like this:

Last Sunday was a sad day. On Facebook I had noted my good friend Ray Carter, aka GayCynic, aka Northwest Freethinker, had passed away. It created a large wake within the gun community spurring a few articles such as this one. Sadly this meant I was going to meet a handful of mutual online friends in meat-space for the first time as we said goodbye to another friend.

The good news was, Ray being Ray made the service a fun ride, having planned much of it in advance himself. Including 37 minutes of prelude music (iTunes link).

Ray’s Playlist

Even to the point of writing his own naming in the service:

Raymond was by his own admission over-serious and more sensitive than was really in his own best interests. He was a recovering alcoholic, sober since 1996 with all the benefits and flaws that implies. He sought to be a good son, to accept his brother for who he was, and to be a good uncle and friend.

Ray was driven to activism by many things. His sense of obligation to those who went before, his fundamental opposition to injustice, his patriotism, his love for his fellow man and his belief that often the kindest and most moral thing a government can do is to leave individuals to work out their own destiny.

Ray considered his nieces a special blessing, and loved them every day of their lives. His favorite holiday was Christmas and he went over the top each year that he could, going wild with decorating and striving to uphold the family traditions. He enjoyed cooking, reading and bull sessions with friends.

His time with the Freedom Day Committee, culminating in co-chairing a Pride Parade was a proud memory that he always enjoyed sharing. He took even greater joy in his time working with the Second Amendment Foundation and for firearms rights, which he saw as just another side of the same issue – civil rights – with debatably saner players. Or at least differently nuts.

Ray came to Masonry later in life, following his father and grandfather into lodge membership. He found this an opportunity for service and as an immense comfort during the last years of his life. He requests that in lieu of flowers or other donations that word be made to the Masonic Scholarship Fund of Alki Lodge #152.The growth of the lodge and facilitating educational opportunities for today’s youth was critically important to him.

The support of the Second Amendment Foundation, his friends and colleagues there, and particularly the support and tolerance of Alan and Julie Gottlieb made possible a dignified and graceful passage and rose well above any reasonable expectation of an employer; they are to be commended for their efforts and Ray hopes they accept his deepest gratitude.

Ray asked that I make clear that this service celebrating his life celebrate ALL of his life – not just one part or another. He chose music, verses and asked for themes that reflected who he was – a decidedly out gay man, a pro-gun activist, a patriot, a “small l” libertarian, a supporter of LGBT rights, and all the other roles in his life. He admitted he cheated and threw in one or two songs that he loved just for the beauty of the songs and asked that all of us here forgive him his final whimsy.

I realize now after the service there was a LARGE number of people who for various reasons weren’t able to make it but wanted to be there. I hope this glimpse into the service will suffice and put a smile on your face like Ray would have wanted.

There was limited commentary while sitting in the church regarding stories about Ray. Well anyone that knows Ray knows exactly why that is, I can’t think of any stories that are “Sanctuary Appropriate”. I made sure the story of Ray and Linoge was given to everyone in the room.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

While we believe the FBI’s intentions are good, it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products. And ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect.

[First, go read the whole thing; all of it. There are different things that can be used for quotes, but that final line says it all.

If you’re having trouble understanding why they wouldn’t help the government there’s a couple different things going on here. If you read their security document for iOS there is little that can actually be done. While no one on this side of the fence is supporting the actions of those asshats that shot up a Christmas party the most common argument I’ve seen has been appeal to emotion to catch those that supported them.

Yes, I want to catch them. Then break into their phone!!! Apple is aiding and abetting by not helping. No they’re not because there’s a lot more at stake than just one phone despite the claims by the government. Anything they build can be used against any other iPhone. Not only that, if it falls into the wrong hands it can be used for criminal enterprise.

Tim used the following line as well:

Criminals and bad actors will still encrypt, using tools that are readily available to them.

This is most definitely true. As pointed out to me by Ashley, if you replace the words and shift the subject this reads like letter from the President of the NRA.

I came to the following realization which cements just how important and how right this stance is. What the FBI wants fails the Jews in the Attic test. To think that this will only be used in this one case is naïve and without forethought. There is no way you will keep a genie like this in the bottle. At some point it’s going to get out and it’s not going be pretty.

Say what you will about Apple, but at least they have the balls to stand up and not just play dead due to an “Appeal to Emotion.” -B ]

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

As Speaker Pro Tempore for the Washington House of Representatives and one of the leading Democrats running for the office of Lieutenant Governor is clearly a leader of and major force in the Washington Democratic Party. As such, voters must assume that this action reveals the true intentions of his party – imposing gun bans, seizures and entrapment upon law-abiding Washington gun owners.

If you’re from the 49th Legislative District, there is a rally that was already planned for this Friday. I suggest you arrive and pay your representative a visit. I also suggest strongly you start working on finding a replacement.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

Obama has some real balls to speak of the better man Zaevion Dobson to a room of people who have had children die due to gun violence.

He just asked these people to see that our heroes die to protect their feelings. If my child is in high school and needs to confront someone when “gunmen start firing”, endangering people in the street, she will not need to serve as a human shield, but will be able to do so from a covered position with an AR-15 firmly seated in her shoulder by returning well disciplined rifle fire.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

So I joined Forest River Forums recently after I bought a fifth wheel with the kiddo in mind and Boomershoot. You can encounter all 4 seasons in the weekend and many times 3 of them in one day with a rapid swing. It’s often cold and windy and well a 7 month old kid in that environment isn’t going to be fun.

Janelle and Harry with the new Fifth Wheel

So thought, get a bug out vehicle that we can use elsewhere. Well I’m new to the RV thing so I begin doing what I do and started sucking up every last piece of information on the topic and finding locations that would be helpful for future reference.

I joined Forest River Forums for the following reasons:

Own a Forest River product.

Forest River product engineers do surf that forum and offer help.

That seems like a great way to narrow down noise when dealing with a problem or issue. So I do the one thing I never do and join a forum. Yeah we will see why I hate forums here shortly. I joined shortly after pulling the trigger October 4th.

The clue Forest River Forums doesn’t want me:

Come November 10th, I was given this garbage in my inbox.

PM I got from a busy body.

So I don’t remember what I had in my signature. Most likely it was either this quote from Franklin:

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

Or this one from Captain America:

Doesn’t matter what the press says. Doesn’t matter what the politicians or the mobs say. Doesn’t matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right.

When the ob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of Truth and tell the whole world, you move.

Don’t remember, I was off Forest River Forums for a while and didn’t notice that PM until December 22nd. Well after seeing the message and then noticing my sig is different, I was less than pleased. Petty tyrants gotta tyrant. This is their forum and they can do whatever they want.

This is my blog and well they decided to be so fucking petty I have no need to hide any of this anymore instead feel it better to lay out the facts of exactly what transpired. I fired off a curt reply.

So I just noticed this PM tonight. Since you seem to be this type of individual, here’s your trigger warning.

First, let me say this is your site and you’re free to do whatever the hell you want. I find it interesting though that I must censor the link to my blog though in the about me page. I can understand limiting commentary in sig lines, but if someone looks me up so what? They’re free to leave my website, just as I’m free to skip over threads I don’t care about.

If they want to get their panties in a ruffle well I’m not going to be the one to do it in a public forum. However while I understand your concern about someone not expressing such restraint you feel it necessary to restrain me. Petty tyrants gotta tyrant.

But here’s one for you. You want to be a resource for RVer’s and traveling with firearms can be a long legal nightmare. But we can’t have people asking questions about how to do that now can we? Because CONTROVERSY! We can’t have someone discover from looking in someone’s profile that they might be able to answer the question outside of the forum whereby the forum escapes their inclusion in a dreaded “controversial” subject.

We’re talking about the link to my blog as provided in my profile on the about me page. We can’t have someone discover from looking in someone’s profile that they might be able to answer the question outside of the forum whereby the forum escapes their inclusion in a dreaded “controversial” subject. You have quite literally said now I’m not welcome because “I am controversial” merely by my presence and who I am outside of this forum. Because that is my personal website. If you don’t like the fact that someone might have something controversial in their about me profiles, delete the url for everyone. Make it your safe space.

I’d like to point out there wasn’t a lick of controversy or issue until you created one. So with that, so long. I’d rather be some place where I feel welcome and not have to suppress my profile about who I am.

Additionally, I find it ironic that you bitch about my blog when I’ve had a couple people contact me after surfing through the forums. They contacted me to ask me RVing questions and didn’t want to join the forum, largely because of limited scope and it was regarding my specific rig and configuration, coupled with the fact they dislike forums. We’ll we see why, not to mention for a supposed resource to help people you seem more than happy to kill off some of the ways it helps.

I thought long and hard before joining this forum because honestly, I find most forums an absolute waste because petty shit drives out people who would be good contributors. I can see now that deep down this place is no exception.

TL;DR: Go fuck yourself you petty, hypocritical, tyrants. I’m out, I don’t need you or your generation of drama because of a fucking link to my blog contained within my profile. You either welcome me or you don’t. If someone else wants to get pissy because of who I am outside of this site, that’s their fucking problem; NOT MINE.

In hindsight I noticed a copy paste reorder issue but it still works. After that I didn’t goto Forest River Forums.

Forest River Forums cements the attitude.

Yesterday I searched for something and without looking clicked the link and this greeted me.

And I’ve been banned.

How’s that for awesome right? Petty tyrant shows himself as a petty tyrant wielding the only hammer he’s got. But wait, it gets better. After seeing I am now banned, indefinitely, I decided to check my profile info. Lets look at my contact page.

Look, my URL is still there…

So lets ignore the signature thing, because honestly while it’s annoying it’s not the serious transgression here. The transgression here is that the contact info for me regarding my homepage was an “issue”. Most entertainingly you then see this below:

Only the hobbies you approve of.

So it appears that my polite behavior within the forum not to mention my intelligence regarding some of the subjects didn’t matter because my hobbies and interests didn’t align with their world view.

I know for a fact at most two moderators were involved with my ban, you can see only two reviewed my profile, and most likely it was this single moderator who had his panties in a bunch because how dare you have a hobby I disagree with.

Want the icing on the cake though? I have had people contact me through my profile page looking for answers to questions. They were looking at getting a similar trailer and didn’t want to join Forest River Forums. Smart decision that, petty tyrant has to tyrant and it’s best just to avoid their drama.

What’s entertaining is they trotted all this out and for what? A link to my personal blog about what I do outside of my RV and outside Forest River Forums. They cannot actually damage me or even really prevent me from reading the forum. It’s easy to delete cookies, change IP addresses, and any host of other things. Hell, I could create another profile right now and be back on and they wouldn’t know who it is. In other words, you can’t actually stop me, all you can be is a nuisance. It’s merely my ethical and moral stance that keeps me from burning your house down with the lemon.

Anyone involved in this shit show is free to contact me through the contact page or to leave a comment while comments are open. Note unlike a petty tyrant, it takes a lot for me to swing the ban hammer, even in a public space, and I’ll be leaving what you write for the world to see.

This post could be alternatively titled, why Forest River Forums sucks and you shouldn’t waste your time.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

Specifically, UK ministers want to make it a criminal offence for tech firms to warn users of requests for access to their communication data made by security organizations such as MI5, MI6 and GCHQ (the Government Communications Headquarters).

This right here is a classic case of “it’s fine when we do it and illegal when anyone else does it.” Seriously, you’re required to notify users of a breach of security regarding their accounts, not to mention it’s the morally correct thing to do. Yet somehow all those rules go right out the window merely because it’s a government agency who’s getting into the account.

You want indemnity to prevent disclosure. Simple, get a real honest to god warrant, not to mention the death to the secret courts. Nothing aids abuse better than these types of shenanigans. -B]

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

Barron Barnett/(The Minuteman Blog) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.